Summary
The Central Kitchen Lead organizes, sequences, and leads large-scale food production and packaging operations within the School Day Cafe Central Kitchen. This role ensures meals meet USDA standards for quality, nutrition, and safety while maintaining efficient workflow, staff coordination, and compliance with state and federal regulations. The Lead oversees production lines, food preparation, baking, assembly, catering, and delivery processes, serving as the working lead for Central Kitchen staff. This position requires strong leadership, operational excellence, and a passion for producing nutritious meals that support student well-being and the School Day Cafe mission.
Distinguishing Characteristics
The Central Kitchen Lead is a working lead responsible for supervising day-to-day kitchen operations, maintaining production schedules, ensuring quality control, and training staff. This role bridges management direction with production execution-ensuring consistency, safety, and high performance across all food service operations.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
The following duties are examples of assignments performed by incumbents in this classification. It is not a comprehensive list of duties, nor is it restrictive regarding job assignments.
- Requires attendance at monthly site team leader meetings.
- Organizes and sequences production phases, and assigns tasks to food service staff for cooking, baking, packaging, and assembly lines.
- Prepares and adjusts recipes to produce the correct quantities of meals based on projections and menu plans.
- Leads production of both hot and cold menu items, baked goods, and specialty items in compliance with USDA and district nutritional standards.
- Trains, directs, and supports Central Kitchen staff on food preparation techniques, sanitation standards, and equipment operation.
- Places and verifies food and supply orders; monitors deliveries and communicates shortages or substitutions.
- Coordinates catering operations including menu planning, setup, delivery, and event support.
- Maintains and verifies HACCP records for all products ordered, received, prepared, and served.
- Participates in monthly team leader meetings and contributes to departmental goal setting.
- Conducts and records daily and monthly inventories; ensures rotation and proper storage of food items.
- Monitors food quality, appearance, taste, and temperature; implements corrective actions as needed.
- Operates and maintains commercial kitchen equipment such as mixers, ovens, kettles, slicers, and proofers.
- Ensures adherence to safety, sanitation, and quality standards in accordance with School Day Cafe and state regulations.
- Collaborates with the Central Kitchen Manager to evaluate production efficiency and implement process improvements.
- Performs and supervises cleaning, sanitation, and equipment maintenance to maintain compliance.
- Provides feedback and performance input for staff evaluations.
- Maintains clear communication with site leads, school staff, and transportation teams to ensure timely delivery of meals.
- Supports nutrition education, student activities, and community outreach events.
- Performs other related duties as assigned to support the overall success of the Central Kitchen.
Qualifications
Knowledge of:
- Institutional quantity food preparation, production scheduling, and service methods.
- Large-scale catering and packaging operations.
- Food safety and sanitation standards (HACCP, ServSafe).
- Federal and state regulations governing child nutrition programs.
- Modern institutional kitchen and safe operation procedures.
- Inventory control, recordkeeping, and computerized reporting systems.
- Basic arithmetic, weights, measures, and portion control.
- Effective leadership practices including team building, training, and performance coaching.
Ability to:
- Lead and motivate a diverse food production team in a high-volume environment.
- Plan, organize, and execute multiple production schedules under tight deadlines.
- Adjust and extend recipes to meet production needs and maintain quality standards.
- Operate and troubleshoot commercial kitchen equipment.
- Interpret menus, recipes, and production records accurately.
- Maintain composure under pressure while ensuring high-quality service.
- Communicate effectively with staff, management, and school partners.
- Apply strict food safety, sanitation, and workplace safety procedures.
Education and Experience
Education:
- High School Diploma or equivalent required.
- Formal training or coursework in culinary arts, food service management, or nutrition preferred or highly desirable.
Experience:
- Minimum three (3) years of progressively responsible experience in institutional or commercial food service operations, including one (1) year in a lead or supervisory capacity.
- Additional education may substitute for some experience.
License and Certificates
- Current ServSafe Food Safety and Sanitation Manager Certification.
Working Environment
- Work is performed primarily in a commercial kitchen with exposure to hot and cold temperatures, sharp tools, and cleaning chemicals.
- Must be able to work in both indoor and outdoor conditions and tolerate fluctuations in temperature.
Hazards
- Electrical shock
- Physical strain and injuries
- Fall risks
- Chemical exposure
- Ergonomic risks
- Driving hazards
- Mental stress
- Exposure to particulate matter
- Emergency situations
Physical Requirements
The Physical Abilities and Other Conditions of Continued Employment and the Associated Tasks listed on this job description are representative of, but are not intended to provide an exhaustive list of Physical Abilities and Other Conditions of Continued Employment and Associated Tasks which may be required of positions in this class. The Santa Clarita Valley Food Services Agency encourages persons with disabilities who are interested in employment in this class and need reasonable accommodation of those disabilities to contact the Human Resources Department for further information.
Only applications received via EDJOIN at, https://www.edjoin.org/Home/JobPosting/2247107 will be considered.
Pay: $23.00 - $28.56 per hour
Benefits:
- Dental insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Retirement plan
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
